Russian Deputy PM Alexei Overchuk today warned there would be “consequences” if Armenia and the European Union continue to expand relations.

The Russian official didn’t specify what those “consequences” would be.

“It is also necessary to understand that the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union are incompatible things. And the benefits that a country gets from rapprochement with Russia, it must also be understood that it is also a price we pay for our security and strategic depth, so any extra-regional players coming there, of course, have consequences. will have," Overchuk told TASS.

In March of this year, the European Parliament adopted a special resolution that calls for strengthening relations between Armenia and the European Union (EU) and emphasizes the need to conclude an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the resolution’s adoption, adding it needs to be publicly debated in Armenia since it would lead to greater ties between Armenia and Europe and place greater strains on Armenia’s relations with Moscow.

Overchuk told TASS that Russia is interested in a stable Armenia, good trade relations, and good brotherly relations.

He noted Russia’s assistance to repair a stretch of railway damaged in recent floods in the north of Armenia as proof of mutually beneficial relations between Moscow and Yerevan. 

In April, the European Union announced plans to establish a €270 million Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia for 2024-2027.

“This shows that the European Union and Armenia are increasingly aligned in values and interests,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked, adding that the European Union and Armenia will discuss “a new and ambitious” Partnership Agreement.